National 5s - do you think they will be cancelled?

[happilyragin]

My daughter says 2 teachers have told her they will be cancelled.
I was talking to English teacher friend and they said it was a good solution to the education fiasco. Kids go straight to highers and get slightly longer to prepare. I did always think 1 year was crazy for higher course (I did A levels and that was 2 years for 3 subjects)
I'm concerned about my daughter and time missed, now thrown back into class with non stop testing after 5 months of minimal education.
She's not a grafter so this has come as a big shock. I'm also concerned if they go straight to highers this will be her 1st set of exams ever!

Good post Lidlfix. I also teach English and find that we have to reassure parents and pupils about this each year.
I really hope we hear soon. It's so difficult to see pupils worrying about what will happen, especially when they are (mostly) all working hard. There's a limit to how much we can reassure them when we are in the dark too!

To all teachers/more experienced parents....

My son got his Nat 5 tracking report last week. He's a bright boy so I was very disappointed with the levels . From what I have just read here, I shouldn't really be so? I'd be very grateful for any comments....

By his next report, they hope he'll be getting 2xAs and 3xBs, thats really good (unless you expected all As)

4 Bs

@Lidlfix sorry this was the Nat5 class would you tell the whole class they are getting a C then expect them to an A or B by the time the exam comes round in May, the prelim is in November. I don’t think it was really communicated to the pupils that this their predicted grade just now not in May, it’s really upset some of them.

Personally I would communicate very clearly the difference between a working grade in October and a predicted grade in April. It's good practice to have (excuse the cheesy expression) " learning conversations before issuing tracking reports so pupils should be aware of what they are receiving and what it means. There should be a letter that accompanies the report to explain to parents too. Certainly where I teach and where my DDs attend/ed that's the case, different schools same LA.

But given the questions and general uncertainties present it certainly does not seem to be a norm everywhere. Which is bonkers as they're going to spend all week reassuring parents and the confusion is not going to do the pupil/teacher relationship any good if DC think their teacher has low expectations of them.

But yes a working grade of a C for a top set N5 class in early October (reports will have been compiled in September) would indicate progression to A, Bs in the actual exam.

Thanks Mistress and Lidlfix.

Working grades and target grades have always been hit and miss in our school. Ds has just had his learner conversations and has working and target grade 2 for all 5 higher subjects which is just inaccurate, especially at this time of the year.

Weakness is English and he just got 10/25 for a ruae assessment and they still gave him working grade as 2. I just don't get it. It isn't a good thing as he thinks he is doing better than he is.

Strongest subject is maths and he is aiming for an A, teacher originally had him down for a working grade /Target of 6 (probably due to NAT5 result admin error later rectified to A) and Just changed to a 2 on his say so. I think they just make them up in our school as they go along.

Will it be tomorrow we will hear?

It is on the parliamentary schedule for tomorrow.

Em.. I've seen on Twitter it (Swinney's statement) has been put back to Wednesday..

DD's school has ditched prelims for 3 assessment periods, spread over several months. Makes sense to me with the possibility of self isolation and class/year/ school closures.
I don't the Nat 5s will go ahead in the normal form.